Well I Didn't See That One Coming
by kenathan
Summary: Those 4 words I never thought I'd hear. "I volunteer as tribute!" I swear I felt my stomach drop to my knees and my heart break in two. See the Hunger Games from Peeta's perspective. Not sure about rating because he's a teenage boy but sure we'll see.


_**Author note: **__I'm just going to apologise beforehand for destroying Peeta for you, this is all based on my own interpretation and how I wanted Peeta to be, I normal teenage boy with dirty thoughts and bad habits like the rest of us, I never really understood the Peeta where he's just in love with Katniss and would risk his life for her all for seemingly no reason so this is me trying to make sense of one of my favourite books. Please criticise as nicely as possible haha this is my first time writing and posting anything like this :O Ahhhhhhhhh wish me luck __J_

**Chapter One**

_"PEEEEETA!"_

…The mothers blood curdling screech is what I wake up to every morning, always a delight that woman. "I don't care what day it is, people have to eat!". And what an entirely sympathetic and understanding way to remind you're son that it is Reaping Day today, she never disappoints… As if I could forget anyways. Reaping Day, that game of Russian Roulette the Capitol has been playing with us annually for 74 odd years. It's sickening to think about, the fact that in 24 hours one boy and one girl, someone you may know, will be whisked off in some fancy train and more than likely never seen again. Sorry that's wrong, they'll be seen alright, we'll all see them slaughtered in crisp detail for our viewing pleasure. Yes, it's sickening to think about, so you don't.

I look around my bare room, typical teenage boys, bare walls, limited furniture, the clothes in a heap on the floor add some colour I suppose (Mental note to pick those up before I get a kick in the ass by the mother). I'm not going to lie, I keep all the good stuff under a loose floorboard…. Magazines, pictures you know what I mean I'm not spelling it out for you, doesn't matter much anyways, no matter what girl I look at all I see is her. Katniss Everdeen. I don't understand why either which annoys me to no end! Sure she's pretty, beautiful really but I don't get why she's got such a secure grip around my balls when I'VE NEVER EVEN TALKED TO HER! I mean talk about pussy-whipped and I haven't even …. Arrrghhh… never mind I have to stop thinking about her before she drives me insane.

I hop out of bed, stumble, and right myself. Don't judge me okay, I'm not the stealthiest of movers on a good day and today is absolutely NOT a good day. I pull on some pants and a hoodie from the heap on the floor (that's two less things to pick up later on) and jog downstairs. Pa looks up from the dough he's artfully moulding and nods at me, not the best of talkers but he makes a mean apple Danish. Honestly, I love my Pa, more than anyone, really his nods of approval are the only thing that keep me from losing my mind in this house. He hasn't spoken much in years, it's my firm belief that the mother ripped out his larynx when he said she burned the mince pies that one Christmas… happy memories. Well anyways, me and the old man don't need words for communication. Just a look tells me what he's thinking and that's enough. It would really have to be considering my two unfortunate brothers have taken after the mother. I suppose it's not really unfortunate for them because they don't give a fuck about anyone but themselves but it is fairly unfortunate for… well everyone else really. You see, the mother (who is my own in case you haven't already realised) has learnt the fine art of keeping her psychotic disorders at home, my brothers… haven't. Achai who has just turned 19 and never fails to find an opportunity to rub the fact that he's now ineligible for reaping in m face, the mother is so proud. Jaylon, the 14 year old "baby" of the family is too busy getting into random fights over meaningless bullshit to think about anything other than how tough he is. I mean it's a wonder I'm normal at all.

The bell chimes, signalling a customer has arrives, and pulling me from my thoughts. I look up from my hands covered in dust and dough into the characteristic grey eyes of an inhabitant of the Seam. I recognise him, and immediately loathe him for no reason at all other than he gets to spend time with Katniss. I'm momentarily shocked by my own jealousy and just stare at him while he looks back strangely, probably thinking I'm a complete moron, before Pa nudges me out of the way and attends to him. While I reign in my confusing emotions I can't help but wonder bitterly whether he's going off to share that bread with Katniss. I turn away and slam my fist into the bread, rolling it violently. I feel Gale's eyes on the back of my head before the bells chimes again and he's gone. Pa puts his hand on my shoulder, he understands, I've told him everything… whatever that is. The only thing I know for certain is that that girl has a hold on me, and this year I'm going find out why.

I spend the rest of the morning making bread, lost in my thoughts and sharing a companionable silence with my dad. The mother hasn't been heard from since she woke me up this morning and I refuse to feel guilty for being glad about that. She's probably out pretending to be wealthy or some shit as usual. We're not, most people don't understand how the baker's family could go hungry and they're right we haven't, and I don't want to sound ungrateful but sometimes I'd rather not eat than eat stale bread. Eating the food that isn't good enough for other people is morbidly depressing. But then I think of the Seam kids, digging through trash looking for scraps to eat, how could that not make you thankful for every bite of food you've ever had? An image of Katniss from years ago, scavenging from our bins comes forefront in my mind. I shake my head as if to repel it because I never want to see her like that, looking so vulnerable and broken. It doesn't suit her, the thing that attracts most people to Katniss is this her steel will and unbelievable ability to never give up hope. She doesn't see it, the awe in peoples eyes as she storms past, her own eyes blazing with fiery determination. She's incredible.

I clean up a bit and try to distract myself from thoughts of her. This was easy enough to do when I was younger but those nasty hormones are acting up again and I need to find myself some hard physical work to take my mind off… other things. I finish off the rolls I'd just made, absently worrying whether or not they were actually fit to eat, I hadn't exactly been paying attention to what I was doing but they smell alright. Better than alright, I stop to take in the magnificent odour of freshly baked bread, savouring it and feeling the saliva gather in my mouth. Remembering that I haven't had my breakfast I indulge myself and quickly swipe one off the pan, still roasting hot I pass it from hand to hand, gasping and hoping the mother doesn't round the corner because if she saw me steal a roll I'd get a nasty clip around the ear. I shove it in my pocket and tend to my burnt fingers. Just in time it seems as the mother walks down the hall staring at me suspiciously. Lord knows why because I'm never the cause for trouble… like never. It's almost emasculating how much of a goody two shoes I am. I edge past her warily and dumping the fresh rolls in the with others in the heated display cabinet and making my way out to the pigs for lack of anything better to do… that just sums up my life it seems.

I sit down on a rotting log beside the pen and eat my roll, contemplating life and Katniss and stuff. I worry about her on Reaping Days, more than myself because my name is only in that bowl 6 times. I'm only 16 but one year we were doing badly the mother decided for me and Achai to apply for tesserae just because she couldn't stand to be less well off then her friends. We both went up to apply and carried the grain on our backs the whole way home. Yeah, that was a good year. I stop those thoughts and feel guilty, remembering how Katniss and other Seam kids our age probably have their names in that bowl 20 times or more, I'm momentarily disgusted with myself. I lean back and feed pigs the rest of my roll as a sort of repent, hearing them squeal over it reminds me of the ringing noise in my ears every Reaping Day right before a name is called out and another child is sentenced to death. Maybe its anxiety, or maybe I'm just losing my mind completely, wouldn't be unusual in District 12. If you make it to 45 years old completely mentally stable its considered an achievement, something neither of my parents have been able to do but I don't like dwelling on that. Realising that all of my thoughts today have been either sombre or eerily pessimistic I stand, brush myself off and head inside. I walk past the mother whose screeching at Jaylon for some unknown reason, not that he probably doesn't deserve it, there's just too much noise for me to think straight. The migraine I could feel pushing at the corners of my skull, is gaining ground and I start up the stairs, leaping over the last four steps and making it in two, I sprint down the hallway and collapse on my bed. Allowing the pain to overcome my senses, feeling my vision blur then sharpen I just lay there passively waiting for it to end.

I wake up to a painful throb on my leg, "Get up douche, the reaping is in like 20 minutes"… ahhh Achai, the brotherly love is overwhelming. And really, I'm the douche in this situation? At least I don't go around kicking people for no reason other than the fact that I'm a sadistic bastard. I shove him out of my room, slamming the door on his insults. I don't know when I fell asleep or how long I was out for but the after effects of the attack on my brain are still lingering so obviously not long enough. I strip and put on better clothes, better being relative as good clothes are defined as the ones not in a heap on the ground. Brush my hair, hate it, shake it back into a messy bush and head downstairs, before entering the kitchen I do a quick scan of the area, I don't want to seem like an even bigger pansy then I am already. The coast is clear so I close my eyes and say a silent prayer for myself, Jaylon, and Katniss. Adding a little P.s. at the end as I remember Prim, Katniss's sister, but there is no chance in hell she'll get chosen. I mean what are the odds, for certain her name is only in that bowl once if at all, Katniss is too fiercely protective of that girl to allow her to apply for tesserae no matter how desperate they are.

As we walk down the main street, the mother scurries off to find her friends without a word, Achai is long gone and Pa wishes us both luck with a nod. I separate from my family and Jaylon runs off to find his friends in the 14s section. I would have looked for mine but I just wasn't in the mood. My brain switches off for Mayor What-his-Faces annual No-one-gives-a-shit speech and I let my eyes wander, even though most Seam kids resemble each other she stands out, always has for me I suppose, so I just stand there and look at her. I don't even notice when the first name is called until I see her features change from emotionless to shocked to distraught in less than a second. It confuses me and I blink. "Prim!" I hear her scream, "Prim!"

I've lost her, my eyes search for her in the crowd but all I see is the ripple her sudden movements have made. "I volunteer!" I swear I can feel my stomach drop to my knees and my heart snap in two. I take in a shocked breath but struggle to take another, I can't focus on breathing right now as all my attention is on this girl and those four words I never thought I'd hear.

"I volunteer as tribute!"


End file.
